


Watching

by Shannon



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-06-05
Updated: 2004-06-05
Packaged: 2018-12-16 15:37:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11831745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shannon/pseuds/Shannon
Summary: They’ve been watching each other.





	Watching

Hermione glanced over the top of her book at the blonde head several tables away. She had been in the library for hours, Draco Malfoy had been here almost as long. This was their last year here, in a few months they would be off to find jobs or attend a university. Either way she would probably never see him again. 

She had come in to study for N.E.W.T.S. but had been distracted since he had come in for what she assumed was the same reason. It had been happening a lot this term. Voldemort had been defeated over the previous summer and their lives had changed. She was still friends with Ron and Harry but it was different now. Without the constant threat to his life Harry and been free to live his life finally. He had a girlfriend now, so did Ron. She had seen Viktor on and off since fourth year but she didn’t love him and never would so they had both agreed it was best to end it months ago. 

She had no idea what had sparked this sudden interest in the blonde Slytherin though. Sure she couldn’t deny that he was a little cute. He would never be considered gorgeous but then either would she. He had changed a lot since summer too. Both his mother and father had been killed in the final battle. He hadn’t said more than two words to any of them all term. 

She considered going over to him and offering to share her notes. She had thought about it every time she saw him studying. She also dismissed the idea every time, for the same reason she wouldn’t do it today. He was still Draco Malfoy and to be the first to extend any kindness toward him would just open her up to his ridicule. He would never see her has his equal, let alone a friend. So she would simply sit and watch him as she had been doing for weeks.  
*****

Draco knew she was watching him again. She had been for weeks, he never gave her any indication that he knew, because then he would have to admit to watching her too. He had been watching of course, why else would he spend so much time in the library. He wanted to pass his N.E.W.T.S. but not enough to spend all of his free time in the library. 

He had watched enough to know that despite what everyone else seemed to believe she had never dated Potter or Weasley. In fact she spent most of her time in here now, more than in previous years. He didn’t know why she watched him, was it for the same reasons he watched her. Had she noticed the changes in him, as he had in her. 

She had changed, her frizzy hair was shorter and not nearly as frizzy now. He wasn’t sure if she had simply outgrown it or if she was using a potion of some kind. All he knew was that change was a positive one. She wasn’t beautiful but she wasn’t ugly either. If he was in a mood to be completely honest she had never been ugly. He had been taught from the time he was a baby to hate any one that wasn’t pure-blood wizard, so he had never seen anything other than her muggle heritage. 

His father was gone now, as was Voldemort and many of his former friends. The Slytherin house had lost many students with the final battle. The older students in the fight, the younger ones because their parents had pulled them out of school and away from Dumbledore’s control. So now he could finally think for himself, not to please his parents. Hermione Granger was smart and a very talented witch. She had fought with the Order of the Phoenix, had stood her ground and survived against his father and hundreds of other Death Eaters. To say she was inferior as a witch because her parents were muggles just seemed silly now.

He thought about going over and speaking to her, he thought about it every time he was in here. He never did though, he wasn’t certain she would speak to him. She had every reason to hate him, and few reasons to trust an offer of friendship. So he wouldn’t speak to her again today. He would just sit here and watch her study and watch him.

Ginny Weasley had just come into the library and was talking to her now. He couldn’t hear what they were saying but she was gathering her books so they must be leaving. He would be here again tomorrow night to watch again. 

He had found out from one of the Ravenclaws that Hermione would be attending the same university he planned to attend next year. Maybe he would talk to her then. Maybe enough time would’ve passed, they could move away from the Slytherin/Gryffindor relationships and animosities and become friends or more. 

But that was next year. For this year he would just continue to watch.


End file.
